On 10th June 1990, the day the Batticaloa
police station was surrounded by the LTTE, the situation in Trincomalee was
confused. The Buddhist monk from Uppuveli went to Trinco town and inquired
from some Christian clergy whether there would be trouble in the district. He
was told that according to the LTTE, they had no intention of starting anything.

On the 11th Uppuveli police station was surrounded
by the LTTE and both the police station and the CTB depot were attacked. After
some firing, the police surrendered. A number of policemen were killed by the
LTTE. According to local sources, 11 bodies of policemen were dug up from a
nearby pit by a police party several days later. Orders were then given to all
LTTE cadre in town to abandon their sentry points and withdraw into the jungle.
Confusion reigned in town that night as the people found themselves in no-mans
land between the security forces still afraid to leave their camps or slowly
edging forward, and their protectors-in-name who had suddenly vanished. Uppuveli
was shelled that night by the navy and the army from Fort Frederick and Orr's
Hill. About 35000 people, mostly Tamils, left Trinco town by night and set off
on foot northwards to Nilaveli, where the LTTE had apparently indicated that
they would be safe. The Muslims largely remained in town, while the Sinhalese
sought safer places.

A shell fired reportedly from the army camp
at Orr's Hill struck a rice mill at Nilaveli killing up to 45 refugees - Tamils
and Muslims - sheltering there. The number of policemen killed by the LTTE in
the Trincomalee and Mutur areas is placed at around 100.[Top]

On 13th June 199O, troops under the command
of Colonel Saliya Kulatunge (Sinha Regiment) entered Trincomalee town from Fort
Frederick. This was followed by soldiers in civil indulging in widespread looting
and burning. The husband of a school principal went with a senior citizen on
a motor cycle to look for a close relative, one among a number of persons arrested.
They were first stopped by a party under a lieutenant and then again in front
of the urban council building. They got by, mentioning the name of a senior
army officer known to them. What this showed was that the looting and burning
were very much under the supervision of the forces.

During the 4th week of June the Trincomalee
residents were asked to assemble at the stadium, leaving one person at home.
The residents were paraded before masked informants in the presence of Colonel
Saliya Kulatunga and other senior citizens who were allowed to observe the proceedings
from a distance. About 5OO suspects were taken away for interrogation under
a unit headed by Colonel Kotegoda. A Tamil speaking interrogating officer, Corporal
Ismail, was brought from Colombo. Many of those taken for interrogation were
subsequently released. But what proportion is not clear. Several like Balthaazer,
a burgher, and Sylvester were released through personal interventions. Among
the suspects taken were 7 girls from Mutur, then in Trincomalee. The matter
was taken up by a women's organisation in Trincomalee, including others. One
of the girls, a student about to enter university, was released that night with
her jewellery missing. A senior citizen, over the next few days, gained access
to a captain through an interrogation officer, Corporal Srilal from Negombo,
who had earlier served in Trinco. After promising to release the remaining girls,
another 4 were released at the former VIP's hotel. One girl released was the
sister of a woman police constable.

Three weeks after the arrest, the two girls
not released were painstakingly traced to the army camp in Thambalakamam. When
the matter was reported to Colonel Saliya Kulatunge, he got the Thambalakamam
camp on the phone and let loose in unprintable language. He then assured the
citizens that the girls would be released in one week's time. The hidden implication
was that they were not in a state to be released. Following the release of the
girls, a lady medical officer in Trincomalee was prepared to examine them. The
frightened girls refused. Their captors had warned them that they had been marked
for elimination and had been saved in the nick of time.

Among those arrested and beaten were several
employees of the CTB and of the Port Cargo Corporation.

The foregoing complements accounts in Reports 4 &5. The killings by the forces during the actual
takeover of Trinco town do not appear to have been as numerous as in the Amparai
and Batticaloa Districts. One witness (Reports 4 ) saw about 4O bodies in an area near
the hospital. Several of the killings were more isolated and are difficult to
quantify. Many of the Tamil refugees in the area were housed in the aircraft
hanger at Clappenburg.

Chelvanayakapuram was bombed prior to the army
moving in on the 3rd day. Once the army moved in, people were asked to
return. K.Velupillai, a retired principal, was taken to the army camp. When
the wife went looking for him, she was told that she could see the husband's
ashes.[Top]

During the months following the outbreak
of war, several civilians were reportedly stopped and knifed to death at the
Monkey Bridge army camp. One case is that of a young man who lived with his
mother at Green Road, Trincomalee. His brother had worked for the late TULF
leader and Leader of the Opposition, Mr. A. Amirthalingam. The young man did
well buying Elf vehicles, repairing and selling them, and was fluent in all
three languages.

While driving to Colombo the young man was
stopped by soldiers at Monkey Bridge. Friends travelling from Colombo to Trincomalee
saw him at the army camp in a poor state with blood on his face. When they spoke
to the soldiers, they said that they would release him.

When the friends reached Trincomalee, they
contacted leading citizens. These persons in turn made representations through
Major Induruwa and through Ananadarajah, DIG of Police. There was no response.
The young man had a child and his wife was then expecting the second. His car
however continued to be seen at the Monkey Bridge camp for several more days.

Later on Major Rockwood assumed command at
Monkey Bridge. Thereafter the soldiers were disciplined and there were no further
incidents of the kind above reported at Monkey Bridge.

Following the outbreak of war there were
3 refugee camps in Nilaveli Methodist Church (8th mile post), Roman Catholic
Church (9th mile post) and the Mosque (1Oth mile post). The last, housing Muslims
and Tamils, was run by the government. Most of the time it was the first two
refugee camps that were subject to frequent round ups. On the first occasion
2O were taken from the Roman Catholic Camp and several of them were not
released. 14 were taken from the Methodist camp and all of them were released.

Ratnam Master was a 6O years old retired
teacher who spent the day at home and went to the Methodist church for the night.
On the day of the round up mentioned, home guards working with the army came
to his house and demanded cattle. On being refused they threatened him and went
away.

The same evening there was a second round
up of the Methodist camp by the army and home guards. Nine, including Ratnam
Master, were taken away. Seven, including Kennedy, but excluding Ratnam Master
were later released. Later inquiries at the Nilaveli army camp elicited the
response that he may be in another army camp.

The rest of the story, which shifted to Plantain
Point Camp in Trincomalee, did not come out until long afterwards. Ratnam Master
was taken to Plantain Point Camp where a band of old rubber was wound around
an arm and set on fire. He was kept with others with one hand of each chained
together. Together with their chains the prisoners were marched to bathe in
the sea, while the movement of all civilian traffic on the adjacent road was
stopped. Left in this manner without medical attention, Ratnam Master's wound
became septic. Others who were chained to him then complained that the smell
was unbearable. Two young prisoners were then given detol to clean the wound.
They found that the wound had reached a stage where the bone was showing. In
the sequel, Ratnam Master, smelly and feeble, was detached from his companions
and placed on the verandah for the night. Untended and unprotected, Ratnam Master
breathed his last in the cold hours of the night. The last resting place of
the venerable old schoolmaster was a giant pit in the compound of the army camp,
where he, like many others, was turned to cinders.

Like many parts of the East, Mutur was an
area where the powers that be had used the simmering tensions between Muslims
and Tamils to their advantage. In 1985 when the government was using these tensions,
Tamil houses were burnt. During the IPKF presence Tamils attacked Muslims. When
the LTTE was in charge before the war, the Muslims were again antagonised.

Following the outbreak of war, many prisoners
from other parts of Trincomalee were brought to Plantain Point Camp. Hundreds
were reportedly killed and burnt [Chapter 2, Report No.5]. Among the materials used for
burning bodies was cadjan sent by relief agencies to house refugees.

Shortly after 1Oth June 199O, Tamil families
fearing the worst, left the elderly in their homes and went into the jungles.
The army established itself at Mutur under Lieutenant Nanayakkara (Officer in
Charge) and Lieutenant Bandara (killed later that year). The families then returned
leaving the young males behind in the jungles. They were asked by the army to
call their young men, promising that no harm would befall them. When they returned
at the end of July they were beaten by the army, who also invited Muslim thugs
from the bazaar to beat them. Sixty of them, including S.Suthahar, and the Dhoby's
son Babu, were taken to Plantain Point Camp.

6.5.1 Festivities at Plantain Point: There was a standard routine
when prisoners were brought to Plantain Point Camp. For soldiers bored with
torture, it was a festive occasion. There would be wild howling, and soldiers
would assemble with a variety of gadgets to swing at prisoners. Babu, who was
hit on the head with a hammer, went insane and later succumbed. In the meantime
Babu's father went to the ICRC. But his name was not found in the lists at detention
camps. Babu had been arrested in early May 1987 by Sergeant Piyadasa and Homeguard
Salim, and then released after the matter was reported to (now Brigadier) Srilal
Weerasooriya.

6.5.2 Suthahar and hostage patrols: On three occasions Suthahar
was taken by soldiers, petrol was poured into tyres, and he was threatened with
the fate associated with these symbols. All three times he closed his eyes and
said, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus". There was another practice in vogue at
Plantain Point. Young prisoners were dressed in army uniform, given unloaded
guns, and made to walk at the head of foot patrols. About 5 to 1O miles out,
when Suthahar was ahead in a patrol, a soldier behind struck an anti-personnel
mine, loosing a foot. Suthahar then heard the other soldiers asking for the
`Demala Ekkenek'(Tamil fellow). Suthahar quickly hid among the bushes. After
some time the patrol returned to camp. Meanwhile other representations had been
made and Colonel Tennekoon, in charge at Plantain Point, was asked about Suthahar
by higher authorities. The colonel then reportedly ordered that no harm should
be done to Suthahar. When the patrol returned, they were asked about Suthahar.
Others were then set to fetch him. Suthahar was released.

6.5.3 Dr. (Mrs) Saverimuttu was an Ayurvedic doctor serving in
the Kinniya area. Following the outbreak of war, she moved in with Muslim friends
in Vellai Manal. Later she was arrested and taken to Plantain Point. Fellow
prisoners once heard a Muslim Homeguard telling her, "Akka (elder sister),
there are orders to kill you". Since then they never saw her.[Top]

6.6 Trincomalee:"Normality"
Restored! Shortly after the outbreak of war, Lucky Wijeratne
replaced Srilal Weerasooriya as brigadier in charge of the region. As the weeks
wore on the usual Operation Jackal followed the first body blow of the military
takeover. This consisted of nocturnal predators going in white vans and such
like abducting people, many of whom subsequently disappeared. The operation
which was headed in Batticaloa by Captain Munas was headed in Trincomalee by
a Captain Suresh Cassim working with homeguards.

Many Trincomalee citizens spoke of Brigadier
Wijeratne as a `good officer' in Sri Lankan terms. He was described as
a professional soldier who was readily approachable by citizens and would face
an awkward issue rather than put it off. He well knew, and at least accepted,
what was happening under his command. On occasions he had acted on representations
and released persons taken. One citizen said, "When it came to operations
he stuck to his own way of doing things. If he was ordered to take a place,
he had his methods. There was no listening to representations about how the
people may suffer or be cut off without food. But once in control soldiers would
go and offer food, or tell people, `What a pity some terrorists have burnt your
roof. We will give you the materials for repair'."

Lucky Wijeratne and Richard Wijesekera, SP,
were killed in a landmine explosion in the spring of 1991. Chandra Perera who
succeeded as SP did much to raise the reputation of his office. As a person,
he is well-regarded by the public without reservation.[Top]